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disingenuous

adjective

Definition of disingenuousnext
as in dishonest

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of disingenuous The court’s ruling is especially disingenuous because on Friday, the Postal Service did promulgate regulations limiting the use of the mail for delivering absentee ballots. — Erwin Chemerinsky, Twin Cities, 30 Aug. 2026 She was especially hurt that some of the people who criticized Cox most harshly, dismissing him as craven and disingenuous, were those who had the closest relationships with him. — Mckay Coppins, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026 There are no controversies and any attempt to generate them is dishonest and disingenuous. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 Aug. 2026 Hochman said Flores simply could have taken notes on the inappropriate comments and turned them in to superiors or the independent inspector general, which strikes me as either sweetly naive or disingenuous. — Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for disingenuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disingenuous
  1. dishonest
  2. deceitful
  3. untruthful
  4. contrived
  5. hypocritical
  6. unnatural
  7. devious
  8. assumed
Adjective
  • Central figure Prosecutors Clark and Juenger portrayed Noreus as a central figure in the diploma-mill operation rather than simply a school administrator who became entangled with dishonest recruiters and students.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Davis said that witnesses were dishonest about his character throughout the trial, including FBI agents and police officers who testified for the prosecution.
    — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of dishonest
Adjective
  • Bogus texts, mystery calls, deceitful emails all aimed at stealing your personal information and your money are relentless.
    — Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The mutual trust and goodwill that xenia sought to cultivate has been eroded by this one deceitful act, creating a world that is defined by this moral violation.
    — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 19 July 2026
Definition of deceitful
Adjective
  • Those commitments can be withdrawn if Saab is untruthful with investigators or probation officials, commits another crime or otherwise violates the agreement.
    — Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2026
  • However, subsequent video evidence led officials to claim that the officers involved had likely made untruthful statements about what happened.
    — Paloma Chavez, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of untruthful
Adjective
  • While the former babysitter hiccup is ostensibly the obstacle for Emma and Charlie’s love story, Emma gets over it pretty quickly, and that speed bump is a little too contrived and minor.
    — Katie Walsh, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Scenes designed to advance the plot feel more contrived than ones in which characters just share thoughts and feelings, but there are plenty of those.
    — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of contrived
Adjective
  • There is something deeply hypocritical about discovering and using the language of women’s liberation only when your own status, reputation, or income is at stake.
    — Laura Jung, Vogue, 25 Aug. 2026
  • That some people in these industries, including those who are well paid, would look at our economy and seek out other ways of doing things is neither hypocritical nor surprising.
    — Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of hypocritical
Adjective
  • Generated by an internal large language model (LLM), OpenAI’s proof relies on an approach that many experts find unnatural.
    — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Some deepfakes still have telltale flaws such as unnatural facial movements, lip-sync glitches, robotic speech or awkward pauses — but the technology is rapidly improving, a spokesperson for the organization said.
    — Emily Elconin for CNN, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of unnatural
Adjective
  • In his first franchise outing, writer-director Zach Cregger eschews obvious sequel hooks for something more devious.
    — Britina Cheng, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Actually, the fake news was smarter than that — and therefore more devious and effective.
    — Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of devious
Adjective
  • Shortly after Hollander was identified as the assumed killer, the rest of his car was searched and police started to suspect him in another murder case with similar details.
    — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2026
  • In most cases, the entitlement is not fully restored until the assumed loan is paid off, refinanced or otherwise satisfied.
    — Sharon Wu, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of assumed

Browse Nearby Words

disinformation
disingenuous
disinherit
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Cite this Entry

“Disingenuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disingenuous. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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